Wire-stretcher



C. M. ZARTIVIAN.

WIRE STRETCHER APPLICATION FILED MAR-1. 1920.

. 1,356,683. Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

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UNITEDSTATES I PATENT, oFFiic CHARLES M; z nrM n, or DENVER, coLonAno. A

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' Application filed March 1,

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ZARTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretcher's; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make andusefthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a wire stretcher which operates during movement of the stretching lever in both directions, instead of only during movement in one direction. 7

Briefly, the invention comprises a bar having means to connect the same with the of the bar, a grip movable with the lever on one side of said pivot, a link pivoted to the lever on the opposite side of said pivot and operating a member slidable on said bar, said other member being also equipped with a gripping device.

In the drawings: a I V, c

Figurel is a side elevationshowing the device in operation with the lever at one limit of its movement.

Fig. 2 is I a similar view, showing the lever at the other limit of its movement;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section to show the position of the grips, this view being indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is an end view indicated by arrow 4 of Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form.

The stretcher comprises an elongated bar 10, to which there is connected at 12 a chain 14, adapted to be carried around a post and to have one link thereof connected with an offset lug 16 for retaining the device in op-' erative position. One end of the'bar 10 car-. lies a loop or hook 18, to fit over the wire to assist in maintaining the alinement of the stretcher. At the opposite end there is pivoted at 20 a lever 22, carrying thereon above the pivot 20 a stationary grip portion 24, and a cooperating grip 26, pivoted between the lever 22, and a cooperating strap 25, as indicated at 27 The pivot 27 is pro- 1920. serial No. 362,809.

vided at one outer end lever 28, controlled by a spring 30. A strap 32, through which also the pivot 20 passes,

is disposed on the side of the bar 10 opposite from the lever 22, the stationary grip 24 be ng disposed betweenthe upperend of salds'trap 32 and the lever 22. The

upper end of the strap 32 is spaced from the lower end of strap 25 tov provide an opening 31, through which the wire may be passed to positionbetween the grips 24 and 26, the grip 26 being thrown overtothe oppos te side by means of lever. 28. The spring 30 holds the lever 28 and grip 26 in either position, as desired. Links 36 are with an operating ,Spec ificatien of liietters Patent. Patented V pivoted at 34 onthe outer faces of the i I levers 22 andstrap 32. 5 The opposite ends of the lmks 36 are pivoted to a loop 38, slidable upon the bar 10, there being astationary grip 40 corresponding with the grip 24 cated at 48 for passage of the wire to a position between the grips, this opening 48 corresponding to the opening 31. In the form shown in Fig. 5,-insteadof mounting grips directly upon the lever 22,a

link '50 is pivoted tovthe lever 22 above the pivot 20, wlth itsother end connected to a loop 51, identical in construction with loop between the opposite walls of the-loop 38. post, a stretching lever pivoted to one end 38, this loop having a lower stationary grip i (not shown), like grip 40, and upper movable grip 54, controlled by lever 56 and spring 58, the upper portion of the'loop 51 on one sidebeing spaced from the lower portion thereunder to provide an opening 52 for the passage of the wire, as in the case of the opening chain 14 is provided with a hook 60,'having a notch 62 therein.

48. The free end of the V In the operation of the "device, the chain A is wrapped around the post, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the wire being passed into the hook 18 and through the openings 31 and 48 between the corresponding grips.

Assuming that the lever 22 is in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said lever 22 is moved toward the left, the wire slipping through beneath the pivoted grip 26, which is thereby swung towardthe right. At the same time the lower end of the lever 22 is i to bind against it, with the result that the spliced.

Wire is drawn toward the right with the loop 38.' The lever 22' is then moved in the opposite direction, that is, toward the right. During thisstep the grips 24 and 26 pull the wire with them, causing it to be further stretched, while the movementlof the loop 48 and grips 40 and 42 in the opposite direction slip over the wire. Thus the wire is gradually stretched, a portion of its slack being taken up during each movement to the ri ht and to the left.

n the form of Fig. 5 the operation is the same. The only difference in result is that the grip 54 moves in a horizontal line 'instead of on an arc, as in the case of the grip 26. V V

The device may be used for splicing a fence by passing the slot 62 of the hook 60 over oneend of the wire behind one of the barbs thereon and passing the opposite end of the wire through the openings 31 and 48, or 48 and 52, as the case may be. In this way the broken ends aregradually drawn together, whereupon they may be readily A great advantagelof this device is that it will remain in any position in which it is set. This is due to the fact that the move- Figs. 2 and 3, the stretched portion of the wire lies at the left, and its tendency to move toward the left causes the jaws 26 and 42 to bind the wire. The tendency of the jaw 42 to move toward the left is offset by the tendency of the jaw 26 to move toward the right. The result is that no movement whatever takes place, and the wire remains in stretched condition.

Another advantage lies in the fact that that portion of the wire adjacent the post is stretched so that it may be stapled while in stretched position, the slack portion of the wire lying entirely at the right of the lever 22.

I claim: a

A wire stretcher, comprising a bar, a lever pivoted to said bar, a wire gripper directly mounted on the leveron one side of said pivot, a link connectedat one'end with the lever on the other side of said pivot, and" a,

second wire gripper connected with the other end of said link and slidable on the bar, each of said grippers comprising a pair of cooperating jaws, one of which is movable.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

CHARLES M. ZARTMAN. a 

